Double Entry Journal #11

1. What does the author mean when he says, "Learning doesn't work well when learners are forced to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West."

Learning doesn't work well when students can not relate it to their experiences outside of school. 

2. According to the author, what is the best way to acquire a large vocabulary?

According to the author, the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is through action. If you talk with other you learn the meaning of words and the context in which those words are used in. 

 

3. What gives a word a specific meaning? The context in which it is used or the situation it is used in. The author uses the word work in different contexts... "go to work," "won't work." 

4. What does the term "off the hook" mean in each of these sentences?

a. My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present.

The person is not obligated to buy a present for her sister anymore. 

b. Them shoes are off the hook dog.

It means the shoes are really awesome or cool. 

c. Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!!

It was something really awesome and exciting. 

 

5. According to the author what is the"work" of childhood? Do you agree?

According to the author the "work" of childhood is play. Yes, I do agree however, when a child is "playing" what they might not realize is they are learning things. They are learning how to talk to their peers or communicate, they are using tools, team-building, and following/or sometimes not following rules.

 

 6. Why is NOT reading the instruction for how to play a game before playing a game a wise decision?

By playing the game first without reading the instructions allows you to be hands on with the game. When you read the instructions you might not understand the terms or the context, but once you are playing it you understand what you have to do even if you make mistakes first. 

 

7. Does knowing the general or literal meaning of a word lead to strong reading skills?

Knowing the general and literal meaning of a word does lead to strong reading skills because that means the reader has an understanding of the context that it is being used in. It shows that the reader has some experience with the word. 

 

8.What does the author mean by the terms "identity" and "game". Give an example of 3 "identities" or "games" you play?

The author means that there are specific roles that people have and there are certain ways those roles or "identities" are acted out.

1. As a student teacher I am expected to act in a certain way like my dress, my manner, and being on time.

2. As a daughter I am expected to finish college and always do my best.

3. As an independent woman I am expected to maintain a job and pay my bills on time.

 

9. According to the author, what is good learning? 

Good learning is learning the right moves in order to interact in the real world. 

10. How does understanding that being able to build a mental model and simulations of a real-word experience is closely tied  to comprehending written and oral language support of change the way you think children should learn in school?

This is something I feel very strongly about. When children can relate their real-world experiences it can help them understand things they are learning in school. I like to think of of it as a puzzle, students can take what they know and piece it together with what they are learning in school. 

 

 

11. Why is peer to peer interaction so important for the language development of young children? How does knowing this support or change the way you think children should learn in school?

Peer interaction is so important for the language development of young children because they lead to positive social and emotional development in children. Knowing this supports the way children should learn in school because teachers need to see that not all work should be a worksheet. It is very important to use cooperative learning groups in the classroom.